Potatoes, Mellow

Prepare a few dozen small potatoes, giving them the shape of a pigeon's egg, all of uniform size; lay them in a sautoir with melted veal kidney fat, or good lard, and cook slowly while turning so that they color on all their surfaces; when done, press down slightly with a palette so as to flatten without breaking; they should now be oval-shaped. Pour off the fat from the pan and cover with butter; put in the potatoes, one beside the other, and keep them in the oven from ten to twelve minutes, to have them absorb the largest part of the butter while turning and basting; salt over and dress in a vegetable dish.

Another way is to prepare by first boiling olive-shaped potatoes, then crushing them one after the other in a cloth; place on a buttered baking sheet, pour slightly melted fresh butter over and color in a hot oven, basting at frequent intervals with the butter while cooking; dress in a vegetable dish.